FOR THE SAKE OF SOCIETY

I could not disagree more with Dean Becker's May 31 Viewpoints
letter, "Fatherless children, drug laws." I think it is time to raise
the drug war to a higher level.

The incidents that have occurred in recent weeks are extremely high
profile due to the tragic year our local law enforcement heroes have
experienced. How convenient for Becker.

Why not talk about the thousands of children who are left orphaned
due to parents' drug overdoses or who are killed while driving under
the influence or are incarcerated for killing someone.

And what about the thousands of babies born with chemical
dependencies or with physical deformities due to the mother's
chemical abuse?

We have an overburdened court system that is exploding -- not just
drug crimes, but family courts are dealing with abandonment, physical
abuse, custody, divorce, juvenile offenders and all problems that
result from a parent or child's drug problem.

The courts are also filled with criminals committing offenses to
support themselves or their families because of their inability to
keep a job.

The readily available access to drugs today is due to the lack of
proper focus, poor leadership and politics and underfunding. There is
not one person in this country who has not been affected in some way,
either directly or indirectly, by drugs.

For the "sake of society" and for the "sake of our children," it is
imperative that we strive to work harder to eradicate drugs and drug
abuse.

Stopping the drug war and decriminalization would simply exacerbate
the problems already facing our families and burdening society.

Terry Hood, Pearland